


New in Town?

by Tlern467



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:21:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23149945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tlern467/pseuds/Tlern467
Kudos: 3





	New in Town?

New in Town? 

The sweltering desert heat was unusually oppressive for Tlern Adessi, a woman who lived by the way of the road for as long as she could recall. 

Ahead, the shimmering mirage of Ul’dah. Like a mirage in so many ways, or so she had been told before making the trip. 

But here she was. This time on the wagon, things felt different. As if a part of her somewhere had been down this road, on this wagon, with these passengers before. But that didn’t make sense-did it? 

The entire arid landscape felt eerily familiar, like a case of deja vu but no way to explain why. An urgent, unintelligible whisper of thought. Even the looming city felt more like coming home than a new destination. But how was that possible? She had never been here before in her life. Had she? 

Hear, Feel, Think. A kind woman’s voice just on the edge of hearing and then gone just as quickly. Not her imagination run wild-she did hear that voice. But only she did. 

One of the twin passengers cocked his head in more than passing interest. He seemed to be strangely focused on her. Come to think of it both white haired twins seemed interested in her like they were observing a subject. 

Where had Tlern seen them before?! None of this made sense! 

Hear, Feel, Think.  
Her head pounded and her eyes closed against the pain.  
A flood of images, of sound. Faster and faster they flooded her minds eye.  
Yet in the background always-two hooded figures. One radiated malice and indignation-wearing a pulsing scarlet mask. The other-standing across from the masked, robed man. Gentler, but just as old. Just as important?  
Then in her minds eye she saw a different woman-a human woman this time. The woman had the same striking red hair in the same exact pattern as Tlern did just now. A coincidence? This human woman was riding the same carriage, the driver saying the same lines as he just did. The same twins with their knowing glances in her direction. The same run ins with the Amaljaa. And as that scene was playing out, a different one played in tableau next to it. This one had a woman with bunny ears in a covered wagon driving through the forest, attacked by beast men. Different beast men. She had red hair too, the same red hair, same exact cut and style. And most importantly, the drivers asked the same question the same way in concert:  
Been here before, lass? 

Then the visions spun away, lingering just a moment too long on the two cloaked figures. The pain gradually receded enough that she could open her eyes. 

“You alright there lass?” The driver asked.  
The one twin nodded knowingly, and the other rose and sat beside her.  
“It’s alright,” they whispered in her ear. “You have questions and we have answers. Some answers.”  
Tlern opened her mouth to speak.  
“How did I know? Because my dear brother you and I HAVE been on this cart several times before. You always knew when to arrive, and you’ve come again when you needed to.”  
That...sort of made sense?  
“It’s okay. We’ll find the answers together, hm?”  
And for the first time in a long time she didn’t feel alone. Definitely bewildered but not alone.  
Had she been here before? She guessed she had. The how and why of her remembering what she did, that was another story entirely. 

The answers were coming. They had to be-for her sake if no one else’s.


End file.
